SPORT

Ireland under-17s reach Euro quarter finals despite 7-0 loss

Ireland's under-17s have qualified for the quarter finals of the 2017 European Championship, despite a heavy 7-0 hammering at the hands of Germany on Wednesday morning.

The Irish side have advanced thanks to their three way head to head record against Bosnia and Serbia.

The Bosnian side suffered a 1-0 defeat against Serbia with the knock-on effect of that result meaning Ireland will finish second in the group because of goals scored, having beaten Bosnia 2-1 earlier in the group.

Speaking after the defeat, Ireland head coach Colin O'Brien expressed mixed emotions: "We had a tough day today at the office. There will be a lot to learn for us from that game. We were second best for a lot of it.

"When you play a team like Germany and you don’t do the right things around your own box, they are clinical and they showed that today.

"However, it was about keeping [our tournament] alive for the last match. With Bosnia winning it has put us through to the quarter final stage, the furthest we’ve got in 20 years so it’s a good day from that perspective."

#IRLU17 have qualified for the Quarter Finals finishing second in the group on the head-to-head rule. England or Netherlands await in the QF pic.twitter.com/lb5Z3dMA7b